


The Night's Too Long (and cold here without you)

by cassiopeiasara



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Hackle Summer Trope Challenge 2019, Mutual Pining, Second Kiss, Soft witches being soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 19:43:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20278780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiopeiasara/pseuds/cassiopeiasara
Summary: The day after their first kiss, Ada leaves for a conference while she and Hecate try to figure out what this new step in their relationship means.





	The Night's Too Long (and cold here without you)

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you to rikubean for giving this a look over. This fulfills Week 2: First Time and Week 4: Mutual Pining. I hope you enjoy. Title from Sarah Mclachlan's "I Love You"

Hecate fidgeted with her fingers at her sides and cursed her nerves. It wasn’t as if this was the first time Ada went away for a conference. _ Just the first time you kissed her only the night before_, her mind reminded her. 

“Try not to miss me too much,” joked Ada but there was a slight waiver in her voice. 

“It’s only a week,” offered Hecate. 

Ada looked up at her with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Not such a long time.”

Hecate curled and uncurled her hands before she took a slight step forward. “About yesterday, I wanted to… that is, I feel I should--”

“Ready, Miss Cackle,” came Dimity’s voice, far too chipper for the early hour. 

Ada nodded toward Dimity. “Right then, why don’t you go ahead and fly up? I’ll meet you in a moment.”

Dimity gave her a small salute and winked at Hecate. “Keep the place in one piece, HB?”

“You need not fear, Miss Drill,” muttered Hecate as she rolled her eyes. 

Dimity mounted her broom and kicked off into the sky. 

Ada raised a hand to Hecate’s bicep. “When we get back?”

Hecate’s heart leapt to her throat at the tender contact. She swallowed thickly and nodded. Ada stepped back, mounted her broom and joined Dimity before they flew off. 

It was going to be a long week.

* * *

Ada fully intended on giving Hecate the whole week before she brought up the kiss. It wasn’t as if the conference didn’t provide a multitude of other issues to concern herself with. Something like this needed the proper time to digest and mull over. Sadly, Ada’s intentions were nothing in the face of her affection. 

Due to the late hour of their mirror call, Ada should have expected Hecate in her signature leather dressing gown with her hair down from its usual bun. It seemed her heart hadn’t received the message about this expectation as it warmed in her chest at the sight of Hecate. The brilliance of Hecate’s beauty struck her all at once as well as a longing and the feeling as if she had never missed her dear friend more.

Thus when Hecate asked how Ada’s last two days had been, Ada couldn’t help the truth from slipping through. 

“I keep thinking about the night before I left.”

Hecate’s eyes widened and something of a squeak escaped her throat. 

Ada bit her lip and shook her head. “I’m sorry I should have waited, I said when we get back and you deserve that time to--”

“Ada,” tried Hecate. 

Ada found she couldn’t stop however and barreled on, “—you don’t deserve to be bombarded with questions or mentions when magic knows it could have just been the night and our narrow escape from the--”

“Ada,” tried Hecate again. 

“And it would bring all sorts of complications and then there’s the staff and the council and--”

“Ada,” tried Hecate with a bit more force. 

Ada shut her mouth at that and finally looked into Hecate’s eyes. Her gaze was soft and not quite relaxed but no telltale signs of extreme panic either. 

Hecate cleared her throat. “I’ve been thinking about it as well.” Her shoulders slumped slightly as she pulled her hands in her lap. “I shouldn’t have just… it’s just I couldn’t think of what to say.”

“My blubbering did get in the way a little,” offered Ada. She ducked her head as her cheeks warmed at the memory. 

Hecate shrugged slightly as an affectionate half smirk broke out on her face. “You weren’t blubbering.”

Ada let out a small chuckle. “I was.”

Hecate caught her gaze then. “I didn’t mind.”

Ada smiled and wrung her hands slightly. She knew her next statement needed to be thoughtfully worded. “I… that is, I don’t expect you to,” she sighed and ran a hand over her face, knocking off her spectacles. She rolled her eyes at herself and picked them back up. “I don’t want to pressure you to--”

“I don’t feel pressured,” stated Hecate simply. 

Ada raised her eyebrows. “You don’t?”

Hecate crossed her arms and bent her head. “I don’t tend to go around kissing my… friend if I’m feeling pressured about her feelings.”

Ada nodded slowly then voiced the question she’d been more afraid of. “Were you just being kind?”

Hecate furrowed her brow. “Not a virtue I am often accused of.”

Ada took a deep breath and hoped if she might cry that she could delay it until after their call ended. “What I mean is, you didn’t kiss me because you felt sorry for me?”

“S-Sorry for you?”

Ada crossed her arms and let out a small huff. “Because I can be a good sport about it, Hecate. I am your friend after all and I would never take liberties--”

“As I understand it, taking liberties doesn’t apply if I,” Hecate paused and took a deep breath, “am similarly inclined.”

Ada’s eyes widened. “H-Hecate?”

Hecate opened and closed her mouth a few times before clearing her throat. “I admit it may take me the rest of the week to come up with… well as heartfelt a speech as yours.”

Ada bit her lip and nodded. “So not just me, then?”

Hecate opened her mouth to reply when a loud knock sounded at her door. 

“Miss Hardbroom! Come quick!”

Hecate looked frantically between the door and Ada. 

“Better see what the fuss is about, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Hecate nodded and transferred away. Ada shook her head and hoped the emergency wasn’t too awful. She replayed their conversation as she finished getting ready for bed and unsuccessfully tried to review the conference materials to keep her mind off of it. 

Pendell chirped a quarter after midnight at her. 

“Right then,” she said as she extinguished the light. Just before she removed her spectacles, her maglet chimed. 

_ Not just you. _

* * *

Two days later found Hecate grumbling as she finished her detentions for the afternoon and shooed her pupils from the lab. She hadn’t been able to properly check in with Ada as the next two nights saw similar interruptions to the first. Beyond her late night reassurance, she hadn’t been able to send Ada a message without the next catastrophe getting in the way. 

It was the longest week of her life. 

_ Only three more days_, she tried to remind herself. Three more days and she wouldn’t have to do the work of two. Three more days and she could properly vent at the end of the day. Three more days and she’d be able to—

Her heart hammered against her chest at the last thought in her head, not to mention the images she managed to conjure up. Images of holding hands during an evening cup of tea in front of the fire in Ada’s office. Of kissing good night or good morning. 

Hecate shook her head. She shouldn’t be presumptuous just because she knew how Ada felt. There was no need to rush or rather awkwardly stumble through as was more likely if Hecate acted on her impulses. She still couldn’t believe she’d bent down just a few nights ago and kissed Ada, interrupting a speech about fond feelings, respect, and space. All Hecate had been able to process was that Ada had romantic feelings for her. Feelings Hecate had just convinced herself were impossible a month prior. 

Her maglet chimed and she gently picked it up. 

_ Fancy running away and opening a bookshop? _

There was a photo attached of a charming shop with an entire wall of potions texts. Hecate looked around to make sure she was alone before she smiled and enlarged the image to read the spine of the book Ada was touching when she’d taken the photo. Hecate get her heart warm as she recognized it was one of her favorites. 

_ I might_, she sent back. 

_ That bad? _

Yes, Hecate wanted to scream, come back. Instead she typed _ Nothing unmanageable. _ She waited a few minutes then added, _ keep the option open though. _

_ Of course_, came Ada’s reply. Hecate stood up and started to clean the lab when another chime came through. _ Any requests while I’m out? _

_ Surprise me, _sent Hecate. 

_ Dangerous, Miss Hardbroom_.

_ Not with you_, thought Hecate and tried to drown herself in work rather than the thought of the coy smile she knew was on Ada’s face when she sent the message. 

* * *

Ada tried not to smile too wide as the academy came in sight. 

“Excited to be home, Miss Cackle?”

_ You’ve no idea_, she thought. “I am though I hope it hadn’t been too chaotic while we were away.”

Dimity winked. “It’s HB. Even if it were quiet, she’d find something amiss.”

Ada quirked an eyebrow. “Shall I tell her you said that?”

Dimity looked slightly worried as she turned back to start their descent. “Better keep it between us.”

Ada suppressed a chuckle and lowered her broom. They reached the ground a few minutes later and Ada was surprised to see Miss Bat instead of Hecate. 

“Welcome home, you two.”

Dimity moved to hug her as Ada gave a small smile. Ada vanished her things then asked, “Where is Miss Hardbroom?”

“In your office with Miss Evergreen. Sad she can’t expel her without your approval no doubt.”

Ada raised her eyebrows. “I suppose I should go save the poor girl then.”

“Can’t say she didn’t earn it this week.”

Ada transferred right outside her office and was almost knocked down by a crying Edith Evergreen. “Careful,” she whispered. 

Edith, who had never really been much of an affectionate child, threw her arms around Ada. “Miss Cackle, you’re back!”

Ada nodded and handed her a handkerchief. “I am. Now would you like to tell me why you were in my office or would you rather I hear only Miss Hardbroom’s version of events?”

The girl’s eyes widened as she explained several mishaps while Ada had been away. Ada quickly realized why Gwen had said the girl would deserve expulsion but the true shock was when she relayed Hecate’s punishment. 

“I have to clean the broom shed, the potions lab, the chanting classroom and the dungeons for a week and I’m not allowed free periods.” 

Ada tilted her head. “I’d say that’s rather fair.” _And a bit light for Hecate_, she thought. Edith looked surprised before she nodded and teared up again. Ada gestured toward the corridor. “Run along now.”

Ada knocked on the door and heard Hecate’s exasperated _ come in. _

Ada transferred in and almost joked that Hecate was going soft when she caught how weary she looked almost slumped over Ada’s desk. 

“You’ve had quite the ordeal I hear.”

Hecate straightened and jumped out of Ada’s chair. “A-Ada, I was only--“

Ada lifted a hand and shook her head. “Please rest for a moment. You’ve more than earned it.”

Hecate shook her head and crossed her arms. “It’s not my chair.”

Ada smiled. “I appreciate you keeping it warm.”

Hecate took a step toward her and relaxed her arms. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Ada clicked her fingers to lock the door. “How glad?” she teased. 

“Don’t leave me again,” stated Hecate then clamped a hand over her mouth. She shook her head and widened her eyes. 

Ada just chuckled and stepped closer. “I don’t plan to for a long time yet.” She lifted a hand to Hecate’s cheek. “May I?”

Hecate nodded, her expression still slightly startled. 

Ada ran a thumb over Hecate’s knuckles. “I missed you.”

Hecate let out a small desperate sound as she released the hand from her mouth and pressed her lips against Ada’s. 


End file.
